The Times of India 19.04.2013
Residents go separate ways to keep streets free of garbage
CHENNAI:
The corporation's waste segregation initiatives may have failed in the
past but now groups of residents across 60 wards are silently turning
over a new leaf and segregating waste at source.
The
result: About 200 streets look spic and span. Nearly 300 residents of
Rajeswari Avenue Apartment at Mugalivakkam segregate the garbage they
generate into wet and dry waste. The civic body ran an awareness
programme for residents and distributed two bins to each household, one
for dry waste and the other for wet. The corporation uses plastic waste
to lay roads and plans to generate electricity for street lights from
wet waste.
Corporation officials said they plan to introduce source segregation of waste in more wards in a couple of weeks. A senior corporation official said: "We have selected a few wards in each of the 15 zones. We add a few wards to the scheme every week."
So, how did it click in these localities? "To start with, we selected places with relatively more educated residents," said an official. The corporation convinced some residential associations to take up source segregation and, when the results were showing, more associations came forward to join the programme. "A clean street is a good incentive, they realised," the official said.
Residents are happy. J Raman of Rajeswari Avenue Apartment Residents' Association said: "We have plans to generate electricity and manure from the wet waste. We could use electricity for street lights and the manure for trees."
Corporation officials said they had conducted public meetings with residents. "Only if people are involved will this be a success. We are willing to provide assistance if any residents' association comes forward," said an official.
The city generates at least 4,600 tonnes of garbage a day. An ordinary household generates 25% recyclable waste, 60% organic waste and 10% hazardous waste. At least 30% of the garbage is dumped in drains, choking them during the monsoon. Many vacant plots and pavements have become unofficial dump yards. Source segregation will reduce the amount of garbage to be disposed off and the city will look cleaner.
Experts suggested that conservancy workers be taught to distinguish between dry and wet waste. Officials said they are planning to distribute pamphlets across the city.
"It is necessary to enforce segregation at source and reduce the load on the civic body and landfills. Source segregation is a slow process and cannot be done overnight. It will take 18 to 20 months to implement it completely," said Dharmesh Shah of Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.
Corporation officials said they plan to introduce source segregation of waste in more wards in a couple of weeks. A senior corporation official said: "We have selected a few wards in each of the 15 zones. We add a few wards to the scheme every week."
So, how did it click in these localities? "To start with, we selected places with relatively more educated residents," said an official. The corporation convinced some residential associations to take up source segregation and, when the results were showing, more associations came forward to join the programme. "A clean street is a good incentive, they realised," the official said.
Residents are happy. J Raman of Rajeswari Avenue Apartment Residents' Association said: "We have plans to generate electricity and manure from the wet waste. We could use electricity for street lights and the manure for trees."
Corporation officials said they had conducted public meetings with residents. "Only if people are involved will this be a success. We are willing to provide assistance if any residents' association comes forward," said an official.
The city generates at least 4,600 tonnes of garbage a day. An ordinary household generates 25% recyclable waste, 60% organic waste and 10% hazardous waste. At least 30% of the garbage is dumped in drains, choking them during the monsoon. Many vacant plots and pavements have become unofficial dump yards. Source segregation will reduce the amount of garbage to be disposed off and the city will look cleaner.
Experts suggested that conservancy workers be taught to distinguish between dry and wet waste. Officials said they are planning to distribute pamphlets across the city.
"It is necessary to enforce segregation at source and reduce the load on the civic body and landfills. Source segregation is a slow process and cannot be done overnight. It will take 18 to 20 months to implement it completely," said Dharmesh Shah of Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.
